Coaling-barge.



L. S. EVANS.

COALING BARGE.

APPLICATION FXLED Nov.'21.1914.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. S. EVANS.

COMING BARGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21. 1914.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witnme o anuewbo c L. S. EVANS.

COMING BARGE. APPLICATION HLED NOV. 2|, 19M.

1,281,542. Pafented Oct. 15, 1918.

' BEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918,

L. S. EVANS.

COMING BARGE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21,1914.

qwitweooe o snare atrn r I LORENZO s. Evans, or sran'rannone, sourn CAROLINA.

COALING-BARGE.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 15, 1918.

Application filed November 21, 1914. Serial No. 873,282.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO S. EVANS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at sand or other loose material and for loading the material therefrom onto adock, wharf,

or other vessel.

The invention conslsts 1n the 1mprove1 ments to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty'of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a structure embodying my inven tion, certain parts being shown in'elevation.

Fig. 2 is an end view in' elevation of the same embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in the relation they hear when discharging a load outboard into the hold of another vessel.

Fig. 3 is 'a plan view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view in order to show clearly the various rope leads.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical central section through a hopper and one end of a conveyor employed.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the end of the conveyer shown in Fig. 5. a

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a rope-operating engine employed. 7

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference:

1 designates a barge or vessel which consists of a bottom 2 having a centrally dirposed hold 3 adapted to receive loose bulk cargo in the form of coal, sand or other loose material. The ends of the hold may be divided by heads or walls 4:, 5, spaced from the end walls of the vessel and thereby forming compartments 6, 7, the latter of which may be employed to contain a steamgenerating plant 8 to generate motive agent for rope drum engines to be described presently. I desire it understood that I do not in any way limit myself to the type or construction of the barge shown, as it may be varied without departing from" the spirit and scope of my invention. It will be understood that this barge may or may not be provided with suitable means whereby it is self-propelled;

My invention contemplates the provision v of improved means for digging the loose I material from the hold 3, and discharging such material into the hold of another vessel, or at some other desired point, a preferred embodiment'of which means I will now describe. 1

Rising from'one end of the barge is an elevated support which specifically may take" a variety of forms, but which I-prefer to construct of a two vertical parallel spaced members 10, arranged on the same straight line extending transversely of the vessel, and braced. and stiflened inany suitable manner to givetheelevated structure the'necessary rigidity. The bracing means for these members 10 may include transverse cross-bars or stringers 11 connecting said members and also inclined timbers 12 connected to the.

upper portion of the elevated support, as

to the opposite end of the barge, as at 14.

\ These timbers 12 may be supported by vertical posts 15 rising from the deck of the vessel, and may be stiffened and maintained in #parallel relation by oblique cross-bars 16 connecting said timbers toeach other. The members 10 may also be stiffened by means of truss rods 10", 10", as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that said members are held against bending in two directions.

At the upper end portion of the elevated structure is a cross frame, formed by two of said cross pieces 11, in which frame are journaled two sheaves or pulleys 17, 17, each arranged to rotate on a horizontal axis. Over each of these pulleys or sheaves passes a hoisting and outhaul line 18, onerun or lead of'which passes above the timbers 12 and from the elevated support, thence down to a winding drum 19, while the other run of said line depends from its pulley and is connected to the bail 20 of an open-ended digging or drag bucket 21 arranged with its digging end directed toward the opposite end of the barge from that supporting the elevated support. It will be understood that in the present embodiment there are two of the lines 18 and two buckets 21, but, as the construction and arrangement is the same for both, a description of one will be sufficient. It will also be understod that I may employ but one drag bucket system or more than two, as my invention includes connection being connected to the drag or digging line 23' at a point intermediate the ends of thelatter, asat 27. The arrangement is such-that, when the line 18 is permitted to run fre'e fromjits drum, and a pull is exerted on the dragline 23 by its drum,.the open end of the bucket will be pulled into and through the material and be loaded, the tension on the lines 18 and 23 serving through the running connection 25 to maintain the bucket in proper digging position. After the bucket is loaded, the l ne 23 is paid out from its drum under tenslon and the, line 18 -is wound on its drum whereby the loaded bucket is hoisted and transportedto the elevatedsupport. Dur-v ing the hoisting and transportation of the bucket the tension on "the lines 18 and 23 serves to hold the bucket in load-carrying position, and, when the bucket reaches the elevated support, it may be dumped by slacking off on the line 23.

As heretofore stated, I prefer to employ two drag-bucket systems, this bein in order to gain time in discharging a loa and for this reason employ two rope drum engines each including a drum 19 and a drum-24. As these engines may be identical, and are preferably so shown, a description of one will be sufiicient, but it will be understood that the engines may be'varied in construction without departing from my invention.

Each engine comprises a bed-frame 28 in which is journaled 'a power shaft 29 having crank disks 30 on its ends connected by piston rods 31, indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 7, to the pistons of steam engine cylinders 32 whereby the power shaft is driven. On the power shaft 29 is a pinion 33 meshing with a gear 34 one one end of a countershaft 35, the latter having at its opposite end a gear 36 in mesh with a drum driving gear 37 mounted on a drum shaft 38 upon which the drum 19 is mounted. The drum 19 is movable lengthwise of its shaft by means of a thrust 39 to place it in frictional driving engagement with the gear 37, the adjacent faces of said drum and gear being provided with friction clutch faces, indicated at 40, whereby said drum. is driven in the direction to take up the line '18. The drum may be eena-12 provided at one end with a brake flange 41,

with which cooperates a brake-band 42 to retard rotation of' the drum when disconnected from its driving gear and in the act of paying out the line 18. The gear 37, heretofore described, meshes with a drum driving'gear 43 keyed to a drum-carrying shaft 44, upon which the drum 24 is mounted, said drum 24 being movable lengthwise of its shaft by a thrust 45 to place it.in frictional driving engagement with said gear 43, whereby said drum is driven to take up the line 23, suitable frictional clutch surfaces, indicated at 46, being provided on said drum and gear. The drum 24 is preferably provided with a brake flange 47 with which cooporates a brake-band 48, by means of which the drum may be held, or may be retarded when disconnected from its driving gear and paying out the line 23 under tension.

Supported on the elevated support, heretofore described, and preferably between the uprightslO, 10, is a receiver, preferably in the form of a hopper 49, ofsufiicien-t width, in the present embodiment of the invention, to receive loads from both of the buckets 21 when the latter are carrying and dumping in parallel paths. The hopper 49 isadjustable vertically as to height on said support, for this purpose, being provided on each side with parallel guide plates 50 slidably receiving the members 10 between them, and a:

suitable block and fall arrangement is provided for raising and lowering the hopper. This block and fall arrangement comprises a line 51 having one end wound on a suitable windingdrum 52, and extending thence upward and over a block 53, on the support at a .point above the hopper, when the said line passes downward, and around a block 54 on one side of the hopper. From the block 54 the line 51 extends upward again and'is passed over a pulley 55 on the support adjacent to the block 53, whence it is carried across the support and over a pulley 56, and then down and around a block ,57' on the opposite side of the hopper from the block 54, the line he ing carried upward from the block 57 and anchored at any suitable point on the support, as at 58. By this arrangement the hopper may be raised and lowered evenly and without binding on the members 10. The drum 52 may be driven in any suitable manner, as by a hand-crank 59 geared thereto by gears 60, 61.

The hopper 49 is adapted to discharge onto a suitable distributor, and for this purpose is provided with a downwardly discharging spout 49 preferably opening at a point midway of the members 10, 10. A gate valve 49 may be employed to control the passage of material from the hopper 49, Supported by the elevated support and adapted to receive material from the or bracket 64, supporting a pivotal connection, preferably a universal joint 65, supporting a frame 66 of an endless belt conveyer 67 running lengthwise of said frame, and the upper run of which travels over guide rolls 68, and between side guard plates 69.- The endless belt is located to receive material from the spout 49*, and at a point in rear of said spout passes over a drum 70 carrying a gear 71 meshing with a gear '72 on one end of a shaft 7 3, the opposite end of said shaft carrying a gear 74 meshing with a pinion 75 on the armature shaft 76 of an electric motor 77. This conveyer may be adjusted to practically any position to deliver the material in the desired directionand at the point required. The side guards 69 are preferably extended as to height, as at 78, adjacent the spout 49 so as to prevent spilling of the material ofi the conveyer when discharged from said spout.

The receiving end of the conveyer is ad- I justable vertically relative to the spout by the raising and lowering of the cross-piece 62. This is preferably accomplished by means of a block and fall arrangement including a line 79, wound on a drum 80, and extending thence upward and over a block 81 on the elevated support above the hopper 49, from which block the line is carried downward and around block 82 on one end of the support 62. From the block 82 the line 79 is carried upward again over a pulley 83 located adjacent the block 81, and then across and over a pulley 84, whence it is passed downward and, around a block85 on the opposite end of the support 62 from the block 82, and is then directedupward and fixed to the support at any suitable point, as at 86. By winding the line 79 on the drum 80, or unwinding it therefrom, the rear end of the conveyer may be elevated or lowered to the desired point. The drum 80 may be controlled by a hand-crank 87 and gears 88, 89.

I also provide means for raising and loweringthe outboard or outer end of the con veyer, this means preferably comprising two lines 90, 90, wound respectively on drums 91, 91, and extending therefrom upward and over blocks 92, 92, supported from the head of the elevated support, from which blocks the said lines pass over blocks 93, 93,

of the ship receiving the same.

connected to the outer end of the conveyer frame. From the blocks 93, 93, said lines elevated support adjacent to the said blocks,

as at 9a. It will be seen that, by taking up or letting out on the lines 90, 90, the outer end of the conveyer may be raised or lowered. v

The drums 91 may be driven respectively by the crank shafts 59, 87 respectively, said drums being provided with gears 95 adapted to be engaged by the gears 60 and 88, respectively. It will be understood that the crank shafts 59 and 87 are adjustable lengthwise so that the pinion 60 may engage either the gear 61 or the gear 95, and the pinion 88 may engage either the gear 89 or the other gear 95. Any suitable means, not shown, may be employed for locking the drums 52, 80 and 95 against turning in order to hold the parts controlled thereby in ad-' justed position.

The outer end of the conveyer described may support a spout 96 pivotally supported by said conveyer, as at 97, and having at its upper end a hopper 98, to receive material from the delivery end of the conveyer. This spout is adapted to be directed into the hold or bunker of a vessel, so as to deliver the material at thedesired point.

I preferably provide the hopper withtwo rearwardly directed spouts 99, each controlled by a door or gate 100, to which spouts may be connected suitable chutes 101 to convey material by gravity to side ports This would be advantageous for use in delivering coal into the side ports of a ship While the endless conveyer is delivering its discharge overall, or these chutes could be employed to deliver the coal to the deck or deck bunk ers if the receiving ship be low on the water.

These spouts may also be employed to permit material in the hopper 19 to be discharged over the rear end of the conveyer back into the hold of the vessel 1.

The parts being as above described and having been adjusted to deliver the material at the desired point, the normal operation is as follows: The operator or operators controlling the drag-bucket operating engines takes up on one of the drag lines 23 for one of the buckets and pays out on the hoisting line 18 of that bucket, thereby' ulling the bucket into the material in hold of the vessel and loading said bucket. The

line 18 is then taken up and the drag line 18 paid out to permit the line 18 to hoist and transport the load, the line 18 being f through the spout (19? onto. the rear end of the belt conveyer, which carriesit outward,

and "delivers it into the hopper 98. of the spout 96,'through which it passes to the desired point. During the. hoisting and transporting of one bucket the other may be put through the digging fnnction, so thatwhile one bucket is being hoisted the other is being loaded, so that the buckets work without interferencelwith'each other and rapidly discharge the contents of the vessel 1.

. My invention not only has the advantages of great speed in discharging material, and

ate comparatively lower cost than such apparatus hithertoknown, but its initial cost is also much lower than other apparatus of also has the advantage that the load is taken and carried by'movements substantially in I 20 which I am awarefor a similar purpose.- It

line with the, keel of the barge so that rolling of the barge with its attendant disadvantages and danger is obviated. If a single bucket system is provided, "the bucket works substantially'over the keel, so that there is practicallyno rolling'of the barge, while, when two bucket systems are employed, the buckets work in parallel paths on opposite sides of-the keel so that they balance and thereby prevent rolling of the barge.

What I claim and desire to secure Letters Patent of the-United States is 1. An apparatus of the character de scribed, comprising a vessel,-. an elevated support at one'end of'the vessel, a rope engine at the opposite end of the vessel, a

cable operated drag bucket system operable 3 between said rope engine and an elevated point onsaid support, and material distributing means mounted on said support 1 and adapted to receive material from the drag bucket.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a vessel, an elevated support on one end'of the vessel, a rope engine at the opposite end of the vessel, a c0nveyer mounted for universal movement on said elevated support, a hopper also mounted on said support, and adapted to deliver material to the. conveyer, a bucket, a hoisting line leading from the bucket to a sheave on said support above the hopper and thence .to the rope engine, and a drag line leading from said bucket to the rope engine.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a vessel, an elevated support at one end of the vessel comprising vertical spaced members, a cable operated drag bucket system operating between the menses upper end portidn of said support and the opposite 'end' of the vessel, and traversing a hold of the vessel between the ends of the lattelya hopper mounted 'at an elevated point between said members and beneath saiddrag bucket system and adapted to receive material from the drag-bucket, a conmounted on said support and located be-' neath said hopper, said conveyer having a universal connection with said support, and means for adjusting said hopper and conveyer vertically independently of each other.

5. In a vessel, the combination of a cargo compartment, an elevated support at one .end of the said compartment, material dis-' tributing means mounted on said support, a rope guide on said support above the material distributing means, a bucket, a hoisting line leading from the bucket over the .said rope guide, a drag line connected with the bucket, both the hoisting line and the drag line leading to the end of the compartment opposite the elevated support, and a ropeengine operatively connected with the hoisting line and the drag line.

6. In a vessel, the combination of a cargo compartment, an' elevated support at one end of the said compartment, material distributing means mounted on said support, a sheave on said support above the material distributing means, a bucket, a hoisting line leading from the'bucket over the sheave, a drag line connectedwith the bucket, both the hoisting line and the dra line leading from said bucket to the end 0 the compartment opposite the elevated support, and a rope engine operatively connected with the hoisting line and drag line.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LORENZO S. EVANS.- Witnesses:

SPENCER MILLER,

C. G. HEYLMUR. 

